Chapter 56: Marauder's Map
"Maybe it will one day. Dragons aren't that rare in the wizarding world, are they?" Ezio said. He knew very well that if nothing unexpected happened, a dragon would be growing in Hagrid's hut in a while. But in the original story, Harry, Hagrid, and the others had handled the dragon a bit too crudely.
Ezio was quite looking forward to that day. After all, he was also friends with Hagrid. He had received a lot of care from him. Hagrid had gotten him some of the magical ingredients from the Forbidden Forest, and in large quantities, by the sackful. Things like unicorn hair and Acromantula venom that would have cost a fortune at an apothecary, Hagrid provided out of simple, trusting friendship. A dozen barrels of whiskey couldn't have bought that much.
"Wow, isn't this the King of our Slytherin—the esteemed Lord Ezio?" the twins said with some exaggeration, a grin on their faces.
"If you two transferred to Slytherin, Professor McGonagall would be over the moon."
"Let's not," the two of them shook their heads in unison. "If we really did that, we'd be dismembered when we got home. But seriously, the current Slytherin is actually not bad. At least you guys got rid of that gorilla Marcus. At least now, playing against you Slytherins is more like playing Quidditch than before."
As the best Beater pair on the Gryffindor team, the Weasley twins had a deeper understanding of the changes on the Quidditch pitch and the changes in Slytherin in recent months. Although the Slytherin team was a bit weaker than before, whether they won or lost, there was a sense of honor about it.
"I heard you two are a bit short on money?" Since he had run into the twins, Ezio decided to take care of the matter he hadn't had time for before. He had a good impression of the twins. They were the type who were very smart but didn't love studying, instead preferring to delve into things they liked. In his world, they would have been brilliant inventors or information brokers. Their chaotic energy was a foil to his own discipline, yet he recognized a shared spirit of unconventional thinking.
Hearing this, the twins looked at Ezio with some surprise. They were indeed short on money. They needed a large sum of funds to do something they really wanted to do.
"I've heard that you two are the most well-informed people at Hogwarts. So I have a deal. I wonder if you're willing to accept."
"How big of a deal?" the twins asked calmly, though a new alertness entered their eyes.
"That depends on how much valuable content you can provide."
"Perhaps we can talk later." The twins, who were so in sync they didn't need to exchange glances to guess each other's thoughts, nodded readily.
After finishing their meal, the two of them followed Ezio to an empty classroom in the corridor outside the Great Hall.
"Speak. What do you want to know? Hogwarts has many secrets. We don't dare to say we know all of them, but we do know many things that others don't."
"Like secret passages?"
"Of course!" the twins said with full confidence. "We know many secret passages that even Filch doesn't know about, leading to Hogsmeade. If you want to order some Hogsmeade specialties, we'd be happy to do it for you."
"But I prefer to get things done in one go." Ezio reached into his bag and then placed several heavy gold bars on the table. They landed with a series of solid, satisfying thuds that echoed in the quiet, dusty room. "Each one is a standard five hundred grams and can be exchanged for five hundred Galleons at Gringotts. Although the goblins are cunning, they are very serious about money matters."
"How much you can take, or whether you can take it all, depends on the value you can provide me."
The twins couldn't take their eyes off the hefty little gold bars that reflected a charming golden halo. Fred swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, while George's usual smirk had been replaced by wide-eyed awe. They had originally only wanted to make a little money to further their business, but they had never expected the temptation before them to be so great.
'It's not that we're disloyal to Gryffindor, it's that Ezio offered too much!'
"We need to discuss this." They suppressed the excitement in their hearts, reluctantly withdrew their gazes, and then ran to a corner to whisper. After about thirty seconds of frantic, hushed discussion, the twins had made their decision.
"A map of Hogwarts. And not just any map. It can show the location and name of everyone. It also has records of many secret passages and secret rooms."
"If you have it, there will be no place in Hogwarts that you can't go. Of course, except for the Headmaster's office. The password for that is not displayed on the map."
"I need to inspect the goods."
"Of course, no problem at all." The two of them took out a folded piece of old parchment from their robes—it was surprisingly blank and looked utterly worthless, frayed at the creases—and then said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Black ink quickly spread across the old parchment. In just a moment, a panoramic map of Hogwarts was drawn, showing the castle, the Black Lake, and a part of the Forbidden Forest, all displayed on the map.
"With this, nothing in Hogwarts will be a secret to you. We guarantee it."
Ezio took the Marauder's Map from them. His expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he was stunned by the sheer power of the artifact. It wasn't just a map; it was a real-time intelligence network. It offered tactical superiority on a level he hadn't thought possible within these walls. The gold was a pittance for such a priceless strategic asset. After confirming its function, he nodded.
"Then, it's a pleasure doing business with you."
"These are all...?" The twins' mouths were agape in surprise. There were six gold bars on the table, which was three thousand Galleons.
"Unless you think your goods are not up to par."
"We swear it's worth the price!" The twins patted their chests in assurance, watching as Ezio pushed open the door and left. Then they lowered their voices and cheered, pouncing on the dusty table. They hastily stuffed the bars into their robes, the unaccustomed weight a constant, thrilling reminder of their sudden, spectacular fortune.
*****
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